as used
to buying things, and did not find it very interesting; for she could
not hope for any sign of pleasure from her dolls when she brought them
new clothes or furniture.

It is a little dull when all one's efforts for people are received with
a perfectly unmoved face. She had once brought Nurse Smith a small
china image, hoping that it would be an agreeable surprise; but that had
not been successful either. "Lor', my dear, don't you go spending your
money on me," she said. "Chany ornaments ain't much good for anything,
to my thinking, 'cept to ketch the dust."

Thus it came to pass that Ruth never talked much about what interested
her either to her father or to Nurse Smith, and as she had no brothers
and sisters she was obliged to amuse herself with fancied conversations.
Sometimes these were carried on with her dolls, but her chief friend
was a picture which she passed every night on the staircase. It was of
a man in a flat cap and a fur robe, and he had a pointed smooth chin and
narrow eyes, which seemed to follow her slyly on her way. She did not
like him and she did not actually fear him, but she had a feeling that
he listened to what she said, and that she must tell him any news she
had. There was never much except on "Aunt Clarkson's day", as she
called it.

Aunt Clarkson was her father's sister. She lived in the country, and
had many little boys and girls whom Ruth had seldom seen, though she
heard a great deal about them.

Once every month this aunt came up to London for the day, had long
conversations with Nurse, and looked carefully at all Ruth's clothes.

She was a sharp-eyed lady, and her visits made a stir in the house which
was like a cold wind blowing, so that Ruth was glad when they were over,
though her aunt always spoke kindly to her, and said: "Some day you must
come and see your little cousins in the country."

She had said this so often without its having happened, however, that
Ruth had come to look upon it as a mere form of speech--part of Aunt
Clarkson's visit, like saying "How d'ye do?" or "Good-bye."

It was shortly after one of these occasions that quite by chance Ruth
found a new friend, who was better than either the dolls or the man in
the picture, because, though it could not answer her, it was really
alive. She discovered it in this way.

One afternoon she and Nurse Smith had come in from their usual walk, and
were toiling slowly up from the hall to the nursery. The